Presto Sostenuto
by chromate
Summary: Meet Tsukamoto Yakumo. Smart, gentle, beautiful, pure first-year with a loving sister and a caring boyfriend. Her perfect life was changed in one hour at night. Rated M for non-descriptive rape scene and violence.


My first attempt on a M-rated fanfic. Rather heavy, I have to say, it's just somewhat of my weird imagination. This is just a fanfic. This does not mean I want such terrible thing to have happened to Yakumo.

Summary: Meet Tsukamoto Yakumo. Smart, gentle, beautiful, pure first-year with a loving sister and a caring boyfriend. Her perfect life was changed in one hour at night. Rated M for non-descriptive rape scene and violence.

Presto sostenuto

Yakumo blinked.

Where was she?

She felt dizzy. She looked around the room. A vase of flowers was on a desk on her left and a chart of her personal information lying on it. She could hear the sound of rain rattling on the windows, and considering the dark environment, it was nighttime.

The darkness, the rain, the wily moonlight…she suddenly remembered what had happened to her before.

Tears came streaming down her face, and her body shook from the trauma.

* * *

Mikoto looked at the blonde. 'How come she's asleep?'

'She cried for the whole hour while we found Yakumo and sent her here.' Asou replied, trying to sound calm. Sara was leaning against him, her head resting on his shoulder. 'She got tired from all the crying, I guess.' He looked at Tenma, who was standing from a distance. 'How's she taking the news?' he hissed.

'What do you expect?' Eri sighed silently. 'I don't think any of us can take it, really. It's the worst kind of torture for a girl.'

Tenma was watching the doctors and nurses carefully through the two-sided windows separating the room and the corridor. They were trying to settle her sister on a bed while the doctor instructed the nurse to put down something on the record. Now her face was more Yakumo-like: her eyes were plain, her face emotionless. Nobody seemed to notice her tightening fists. She acted so well that no one was aware of her body shaking as well.

The world didn't seem fair. She was the elder sister. She ought to protect her little sister, as she knew these kinds of things could have happened to her. She should have stayed with her. She should have…

She punched the wall with her right fist furiously. All the others were taken aback and stared at her in shock. They had never seen her that mad before.

'I'm going for a walk.' She said darkly. 'Please tell me when Yakumo wakes up.' And there she went.

Mikoto held her breath when she saw the hole on the wall. She would have expected such reaction from Tenma. She knew very well that the Tsukamoto sisters loved each other so much.

She glanced at Yakumo, who was now asleep on the bed.

She looked so peaceful as if nothing had ever happened.

* * *

_-Flashback- _

_Akira felt defeated._

_Tenma, Mikoto, Eri and she were having a sleepover night at Eri's place, and she was now playing chess with her. She always had much faith in her ability in such dueling, but Eri, growing up in a western country, seemed to know the game very well too. Now Akira only had a knight, two bishops and her king left, while Eri still got both rocks, two pawns, one knight, and a king and a queen. The blonde began her furious attack that Akira did not have plenty of time to counter-attack them._

_Mikoto and Tenma were watching them play while talking about girl stuff. They did not know much about chess, and got easily defeated by the two players._

_Now the mature sophisticated woman lost another bishop. Eri was good, she admitted, but she would not allow herself to be defeated to anyone. Anyone._

_Her mobile rang and Akira picked up the phone with one hand and her knight with another. 'I'm not in a good mood, Asou.' She said coldly. 'What do you want?'_

_'Is Tsukamoto around you?'_

_Akira raised an eyebrow. 'Well, if you mean Tenma, she's here. If you want Yakumo you should ask your girlfriend.'_

_'Sara is not my girlfriend.' She could hear the frustration in his voice. 'Look, this is serious. Who else is around you?'_

_Normally Akira would simply put down the phone or demand an explanation, but she knew that Asou was not stupid enough to mess with her and that he was not an idiot to play with phones. She wondered what's going on, and she could hear sound of siren from the phone._

_'Mikoto, Eri and Tenma.' She waved her white knight around the chessboard, finding the suitable place to move._

_'Okay, they can be trusted.' She could not decipher if he's talking to himself or to her. 'Take them with you to the Central Hospital now.'_

_Ah, she found the correct position. 'What's the problem?'_

_'We've got Yakumo by our side, Sara and I.' She heard him gulp, but wasn't too sure if it was his or hers. _

_'Yakumo?' She asked suspiciously._

_'Yes, well...we found her...and we're going to the hospital in an ambulance right now.'_

_'What's happened to her?' Akira asked, totally ignoring Eri's look of frustration that she had forgotten the game._

_'Well...she...damnit,I don't really know what happen to her, but...'_

_'Asou, what happened to her?' Her voice rose a bit, worrying for her junior student._

_'Judging from her scars and appearance, it was possible that she was...she was...'_

_'Damnit, tell me what happened!' She yelled impatiently into the phone, and surprised the three girls in the same room. They all looked at her, bewildered and astonished._

_'Yakumo might have been raped.' Asou finally managed to whisper after a couple of seconds of silence._

_Akira dropped her knight unconsciously onto the chessboard, knocking over other pieces to the floor._

_-End of Flashback-

* * *

_

'Where is Harima?' Asou asked to no one in particular.

'Akira had called him, and he said he'd be coming as fast as he could manage.' Eri replied. She did not like the idea of the ex-delinquent and the perfect little sister together, but this was a different situation. As much as she disliked her, she did not deserve this. No one did.

The one she worried most was Tenma. She had been gone for half an hour and Yakumo still showed no sign of consciousness. And the blonde had never seen her behaving so emotional before. Then she began to think: their parents were dead, and they grew up together, just the two of them in the family. It was stupid to doubt the fondness and love between them.

And although Yakumo was the younger sister, she did all the housework. She did all the cooking and the bento they needed for lunch. She cleaned their clothes while Tenma had fun with her friends or busy chasing after Karasuma. Even if Yakumo said she did not mind such arrangement, in such situation, Tenma might have felt useless as an elder sister who did not take good care of her only sibling. She had failed in protecting her.

They heard sound of distant footsteps approaching nearer to them. They belonged to the nuns from Sara's church. They looked grave and depressed. The others nodded, acknowledging them.

'We've heard what had happened to the poor girl,' one of the sister said to them. 'What a tragedy. She is such a kind person, always helping us when we need some volunteer.' Another spoke while shaking her head.

'Thank you for stopping by,' Akira said.

'We'll pray for the girl's soul.' The first sister said. 'God still loves her and we pray that she'll recover soon, physically and mentally.'

The group acquiesced their action and they sat on the bench, hands in the prayer style in front of their chest, their eyes closed. After a few minutes, Sara woke up and joined in.

'Hige is still not here.' Eri said angrily, somehow surprising herself that she was mad Harima did not come to visit Yakumo.

'He is,' Akira spoke calmly, watching the rain, as if pointing out the obvious.

Asou raised an eyebrow towards her statement, but decided not to comment. After all, Akira was not stupid to say something entirely false.

* * *

_-Flashback-_

'_Yakumo-chan does not answer my phone,' Sara moaned to Asou, who accompanied her to walk to the Tsukamoto household. _

'_Well, she must have a good reason. Maybe she's just too busy spending time with Harima to hear her phone ringing.' Asou replied casually. _

'_But she promised to call! We agreed on the sleepover tonight.'_

'_I'm sure she will.' Then he noticed that not many people were on the street. 'Are you sure this is the right way to the Tsukamoto household?'_

'_Yes, this is a short-cut.' Sara replied. 'The lights were dimmer, but it took less time.' _

'_You should be more careful next time you two walk this road.' Asou frowned. 'Molesters could be hiding in such places, waiting for high school girls like you.'_

'_I will be.' She smiled, happy that she got his concern. 'Well, I'll try to call Yakumo-chan again.' She picked her phone and dialed her number, and she could hear her ringing tone sounding nearby._

'_This is strange,' Sara looked around. No sign of Yakumo. The phone kept ringing for a minute but Yakumo did not pick up the phone. Asou felt something might have happened. _

'_Sara, stay behind me.' He instructed, and the blonde did so, tugging his arm frighteningly. The basketball player carefully followed the sound and found himself in an alley. His eyes widened in shock at the scene._

_Yakumo was lying against a wall, unconscious. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were barely on. Her schoolbag was on the other side of the avenue and her skirt was flipped over. The mobile phone's ringing tone echoed in the alley. Asou observed the scene in horror._

'_What's wrong Aso…oh my.' Sara appeared from his back and was stunned. 'YAKUMO!' She yelled and ran by her side, shaking her body to wake her up. 'Don't scare me like this Yakumo. YAKUMO!' She cried, hoping that this was just a nightmare._

'_Sara don't!' Asou pulled her back. 'She's still breathing! This is a crime scene. Don't mess with the scene.' He yelled. 'Call the police. I'll see if anyone suspicious is around here.'_

_Unwillingly, Sara complied and dialed the police hotline, informing them of a possible rape case. Asou later made a call to Akira on their way to the hospital. He could not imagine the shock and terror on Tenma's face when Akira informed the group of the news._

_-End of Flashback-

* * *

_

Harima was standing in front of the hospital.

He let the raindrops fell on his body. He felt numb. He did not dare to enter the hospital, to face her, to face their friends. He failed as a boyfriend, as a friend, as someone she fully trusted.

Yakumo and he had been dating for quite a month already. Although it quite pissed Eri off, which he was a bit sorry for, they had good times spent together. She had started to show herself more instead of hiding her emotions. And now…now that this terrible thing had happened, he felt like a failure.

He wasn't there when she's in trouble. He was in his apartment, drinking a beer while watching T.V. If it had not been Akira who called, he would not have known what happened. He had called her when she finished working, and she was just fine.

She was just fine.

He punched a tree nearby, causing some shattering leaves to fall down. He was mad. Mad at the damn rapist but also mad at himself. What kind of boyfriend was he who could not protect his girl? A part of his mind told himself that no one could have predicted such things to have happened, but that did not comfort him at all. He rested his back on a tree, looking up into the sky. He wondered what could be worse than the feeling that he was just a complete failure.

'There you are, sempai.'

He turned to face Sara Adiemus, Yakumo's best friend and a good friend of everyone. The usually cheerful girl had a stony expression. Harima couldn't tell if she's mad at him or not.

'Sara-san,' he greeted, then his mouth opened but no words came out. He had no idea of what to say to her, nor to Yakumo.

'Yakumo-chan is awake already.' She said, and her gaze met his. Harima felt she expected him to say something.

What more could he say?

'The doctors prevented Asou from visiting, as they didn't think it was wise for Yakumo-chan to meet a male right after what had happened.'

Harima gulped. 'How is she?' He managed to ask softly.

'She has been crying.' Harima's face paled. 'She is ashamed of herself, and thinks that she has disgraced Tsukamoto-sempai, disappointed me, Sawachika-sempai, Akira-sempai, Suou-sempai, and you.'

His heart sank.

'Tsukamoto-sempai is comforting her,' she paused, 'and she wants you to visit her now.'

'But I…' he moved his face to avoid eye contact with Sara. Stupid Yakumo, he thought, how could she think that way? She was the poor, innocent victim here, and he wasn't there when…

'Sempai, I'm begging you.' Sara tugged his shirt, tears forming in her eyes. 'Yakumo-chan needs you now. She has to know that you're not mad at her and not ashamed of her.'

'Of course I'm not,' Harima stated firmly. Then he panicked at the thought of meeting the crimson-eyed girl directly.

'Then go.' Somehow he felt the strength he needed. 'Arigato Sara-san.' He bowed and rushed into the hospital, looking for her room.

* * *

_-Flashback-_

_Yakumo was tired after her work as a waitress. Today she was assigned to wear traditional Chinese costume and was quite embarrassed that many male customers stared at her breasts or legs. She was not flattered by their attention at all. However, it's the boss' order so she could not object._

_She changed back into her school uniform and left her working place. She brought some leftovers in case Tenma came home with a hungry stomach, thought she doubted if the Sawachikas could not feed her sister full. Well, just in case._

_After a few minutes of walk, she could tell someone was following her. She could not explain why, but an instinct, and her ability to hear perverted thoughts. She turned her head and observed the street. No one._

_On the bright side, it meant there were no molesters. On the other hand, it meant if anything happened, she would not be saved._

_Yakumo shivered and started to increase her pace. She did not dare to think of what could have happened when no one's around._

_She could sense a hint of lust around her, but could not tell where. _

_Behind you, her instinct informed. She tried to jump a step forward to evade the assault, but the man was too fast and grabbed her wrist. She lost her balance and the grip on her wrist tightened. A second later, she was pushed towards a wall of a dark alley with not much light on. Her eyes widened in shock and blushed, feeling the man's body pressed onto hers. Before she could scream, the man forced his lips on hers to silence her._

'_Scream if you can,' the man grinned evilly. 'There's no one in this area of land. You can not escape.' He emphasized on the last four words, and started to kiss her mouth and neck furiously. Yakumo struggled hard, but could not fight against this man's enormous strength. He got mad and slapped her hard. She felt blood floating from her lips, but the man showed no mercy._

'_Don't try to act stupid. You'll be more comfortable if you just comply.' He started to strip her school uniform, but Yakumo kept on struggling. She even managed to hit his face for a few times in a row, yet his physique was unfairly fine and easily recovered from her attacks. Even if she could read him, she could do nothing against the man's agility._

_Yakumo felt sick. It was not fair! She had done nothing wrong. She had not committed any sins. Why something so terrible would happen to her?_

_She screamed for help, but it was useless as no one was around. She could not fight against the rapist and her uniform was removed, revealing her brassiere and underwear. The man seemed to get more excited and pinned her on the ground, kissing every inch of her body. Yakumo fought so hard, but the man was victorious. When he entered her, Yakumo felt like her world had ended. Her virginity was lost. Tears wouldn't stop streaming down her face and she felt weak. She stopped struggling. She only wanted the moment to end. _

_The man released his fluid and sprayed them on her face. She felt numb. Just this very night she suffered the biggest humiliation a teenager could manage. She started to lose her senses and fainted. _

_The rapist smirked in success, and left the scene quickly, leaving Yakumo on her own in the alley, her clothes barely covering her body._

_-End of Flashback-

* * *

_

Harima looked at the room. This was where Yakumo was staying. He hesitated, debating in his own mind whether to enter or not.

'Girls, let's leave the room.' He could hear Tenma's. 'Give them some privacy.'

Before the words emerged into Harima's mind the group of four and the praying nuns left the room. Tenma looked at Harima expectantly. 'I count on you, brother-in-law. Yakumo needs your comfort.' Harima was confused how she knew of his presence, but decided to ignore it. He nodded and entered the room.

He knocked on the door. There was no response. 'Yakumo, I'm coming in.' Then he opened the door.

He closed the door. It was quite a big private room and Harima thought it might be Eri paying for the room. He mentally thanked her. He looked for the bed and found Yakumo on a chair instead, her back facing him, watching the view of the city in raindrops. Her knees cuddled up to her chest, and her arms wrapped them protectively. He could not read her from behind.

'Yakumo…'

'If you want to break up with me, I understand, Kenji-kun.' He heard her soft whisper. He frowned. 'I didn't…'

'I am ashamed of myself,' her voice appeared softer, 'and I understand if you never want to see me again.' There was not emotion in her voice. She sounded like Akira to Harima.

'Yakumo…' he was at a loss of words. Asou reminded him not to have physical contact as it might bring back unpleasant memories. He wanted to hug her so much, to tell her he would not leave her, but he couldn't.

'Please, just…leave if you want. I won't force you to do anything.'

That hurt him. Much.

He walked towards her and noticed, in the reflection of the window, that she was crying silent tears. Her body was shaking with slight movement. She was afraid. Image of the previous event still haunted her.

The silence in the room remained for a few minutes, then Harima made up his mind. Gently and slowly, he wrapped his arms around her shoulder from behind. Yakumo gasped and tried to struggle, but Harima spoke softly into her ears.

'I won't abandon you, Yakumo.' He stated with confidence. 'No matter what, I won't leave your side. I won't hurt you.' Yakumo stopped moving, and after a minute of hesitation, leaned on his chest to feel the warmth. Gradually, Harima sat on the chair with Yakumo on his laps. They remained quiet throughout the whole night, but Yakumo no longer felt afraid and shameful.

She could never forget that night, and it might take time for her to be able to face other men again. But she'd wait for that day to come. For she knew people she loved were by her side, supporting her, caring for her, she felt much better.

She managed to sleep in Harima's embrace, finally, peacefully.

-The End-

* * *

It's quite a heavy fanfic. If I remember correctly no one in here seems to have written something as grave, so I want to give it a shot. Correct me if I'm wrong. And mind you, I'm not an anti-Yakumo person. She is my favourite character in the whole series. This fic is a result of my twisted little mind. No offence to any yakumo fans, myself included.

If you've noticed, the flashback is in reverse order, recollecting what really happened.

I'm planning on writing another one. It will not be as heavy as this, probably a sweet love story between Yakumo and Harima, or a warm story about the Tsukamoto sisters' love for each other. However, as I'll be quite busy later, I can't promise when I'm going to upload it here.

Anyway, hope you like the story. Send me a review to let me know if you love it/hate it or any other comments. All are appreciated.


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